Comms war over Gaza

The Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) said a key objective was to illustrate what life was like for people experiencing Hamas rocket attacks in Israel.

The body, an independent organisation that promotes awareness of Israel in the UK, has taken journalists on press trips to Sderot, an Israeli town that has been under rocket fire.

BICOM has a dedicated team in Israel whose members act as fixers for foreign journalists. It is also encouraging Israeli citizens to speak to the media to give a personal perspective on the conflict.

Meanwhile, the chairman of an NGO that defends Palestinian human rights has spoken of the challenge of keeping the protests interesting. Friends of Al-Aqsa is also organising the UK protests against the Israeli offensive.

Friends of Al-Aqsa chairman Ismail Patel said: ‘We are protesting on a daily basis, but that means it is no longer a news item. Instead, we are providing new focal points, like reading out the names of the children killed in Gaza or getting protesters to lie down to depict the dead in Gaza.’